New analysis reveals that house renovations are the biggest cause of late-night anxiety in Britain, with more people searching for home improvement advice than money or work-related queries in the middle of the night. 

Google searches for home improvement-related terms peak at 4 am, with the majority of activity happening between 2 am – 5 am. By contrast, Brits are less likely to lose sleep over mortgage rates, job vacancies, and tax, with these terms receiving five times fewer searches during the early hours. 

The study, performed by aluminium doors and windows supplier, Origin, suggests that anxiety around home renovations is at an all-time high, with online searches around the subject 24% higher now than this time last year. 

The main renovation stresses keeping the British public awake at night are cost, lack of ideas, and which products to choose, with thousands of people turning to Google for reassurance, advice, and inspiration every night. 

Victoria Brocklesby, COO and Co-Founder at Origin, comments: “With mortgage rates and the cost of living continuing to rise, you could be forgiven for thinking that financial worries and career concerns would be causing Brits the most stress. However, whilst these remain key issues, our analysis found that house renovations are the leading cause of late-night anxiety, demonstrating just how much of a toll home improvement projects can take when they aren’t managed properly. 

“It doesn’t have to be like this. Upgrading a property should be an exciting time, not something that causes homeowners to lose sleep. One of the simplest ways to relieve stress is to work with builders, architects, and suppliers that can be trusted to keep the project on time, on budget, and looking fantastic, freeing up time to focus on the things that really matter – including getting a good night’s sleep.”

To help take some of the stress away from home improvement projects, Origin has put together a simple step-by-step guide for a stress-free renovation.